Lost Tortoise Resurfaces After 30 Years – Still Alive!

In 1982, the Almeida family of Rio de Janeiro thought that they’d mistakenly allowed their pet tortoise Manuela to escape their home. During some renovations, Manuela went missing, and the family assumed he had escaped through a door left open by workers.

Never underestimate the power of a tortoise with the will to live! Fast forward to present day, 30 years later, as Leandro Almeida was taking out the trash. Thanks to the watchful eye of a neighbor, it was brought to Leandro’s attention that crawling around in a box with an old record player was Manuela the turtle. He was back! In fact, he’d never left.